The stage was moved last year to accommodate the Papal visit but its return to the circuit used in previous years will provide an opportunity for fans to see the top cyclists competing on the streets of London less than a year before the Olympic Games.

The Whitehall and Victoria Embankment circuit has hosted the event in previous years and race director Mick Bennett believes this year will be no exception.

"As previous years have shown, the circuit we are using is perfectly suited to the sprinters, so I expect to see the stage again culminate in a bunch sprint," said Bennett.

"In previous years riders of the calibre of Mark Cavendish, Matt Goss and André Greipel have all won sprint stages, so I'm sure that 2011 will be no different."

The event has also been praised by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson. "The Tour of Britain is a fantastic event and I am thrilled to be able to support it," he said.